Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-24
A FIELD BATTERY.
ONE OF WARS MOST AWE INSPIRING
 SPECTACLES.

sPECTACLES.
 Light Artillery in Action-A Crisis in
 Battle-A Terrible Boom! Boom! of
 of War.
 A battery is needed here at this particular point The enemy sees the opportunity and throws dense mass of men against it. The crisis is approaching. An aide gallops off to give the order to the nearest artillery It is over there on the adjacent knoll The aide has reached it; he points with his hand where it is needed. Before he can turn his horse around, guns and horses were all nov ing. Can they get here in time? We must hold this knoll; it is the key point of this part of the battle and see, the enemy is ad- vancjng for grand assault. Quick! order up another regiment to support the battery when it gets here. There it comes, flashing at intervals through smoke and dust like meteor A long train of guns and caissons- six, eight guns, and six, eight caissons, and six, eight horses to each gun and caisson.
 With tremendous racket, they dash full speed across fields, never turning to right or left, heading straight for this knoll. Drivers all flashing their horses into fury of foam, officers pointing with their swords and on the gun chests sit the brave cannoneers, cool and indifferent outwardly, but knowing full well inwardly that in a few minutes more many of them will bite the dust They hold on to the chest handles for life, for as wheel strikes log, the carriages jump two feet in the air. Now they turn slightly with the greatest rapidity to avoid that huge powder, they cross ditches, overturn hedges and foroo all hal or1Oy, of dust. Ha! one horse has fallen-yes, struck by bullet. The men jump down from the carriage, the battery goes on-in moment the traces are cut, and the poor horse left to die. The carriage, drawn now by five horses, hurries to rejoin the battery. There, they all go down hollow, and disappear from view for moment-the next instant they are up again.
 See! the captain gives sign. What a change! As if instantly turned to marble every horse and carriage stops dead short. Then for five seconds what inextricable con- fusion! Horses, men, guns and caissons to- gether in horrible jumble-then all is clear again. There back in the hollow, sheltered are the caissons-a little below the hill stands the line of limbers, and here on the crest are the guns. What metamorphosisl The statuelike cannoneers are now full of life and excitement! Now 0 cloud of white smoke and red flame suddenly shoots out of the black mouth nearest, a terrible boom rings out, then another and another. Boom! boom! boom! the great mouths yell with horrible delight, and at each boom goes down wide swath of men in the advancing col umn. Boom! boom! boom! they roar in joyful glee, and yet at each boom they recon in horror at their own power. Beyond the enemies lines, away off in the distance, trees split and fall, and houses collapse at some un- seen mysterious power. Everything gives way before the terrible storm of iron mis- siles thrown out at each boom! boom! boom!
 The enemy for an instant halt, and then reform, on again and charge up the hillside Will nothing stop thema No, they are deter mined to have the battery that causes such terrible destruction in their ranks, and though with each discharge wide lanes are opened in them, they do not falter. The brave can uoneers are falling fast Quick! "Limber, fearp' sounds the bugle, while the long sup porting line of infantry rises from the hol= low, and pours volley after volley into tho determined foe. Ha! he halts-he is checked! No, that is only temporary disorder. See, there he comes again, with yell! Oh! how terrible! Quick spike the gunsl Hand to hand they fight. See, even as that officers sword is upraised, the bullet strikes him, and
 
 horse, kicking and screaming in death agony. Men fighting with bayonets, clubbed muskets, fire their guns in each others faces, blow off heads of men close by. Blood Blood! Blood!
 What is that? Thank Godl The joyful yell in our rear is from a reinforcement ar- rived just in time. The enemy sees it, he gives way, there he goes-what is left of him. That is right; pour volley after volley into him, rush after him; do not leave any one alive. The guns are safe, but what a scene There are piles of dead and wounded to- gether Pools of blood on the ground, and everything marked with blood. Flies arc already settling on the dead. What terrible groans and moans, and prayers for water. Broken musllets, torn clothes revealing white skin stained with red blood, canteens, haver sacks, guidons, cooking tins, canister cart ridges, broken wheels, dead horses and men all together.
 | Look at that mass! Horses with entrails scattered about; human legs and arms with | out bodies; bodies with jagged splnters and | bones protruding through the flesh. That mans face is already swollen and this ones i. turned black Oh! the despair, the hatred or courage depicted on their conferences l And the strange positions they take-eye: protruding from sockets and tongues iron mouths Oh! it is terrible. One can but shudder and sicken, turn faint and giddy l Yet it is war-the science that brings out tn. noblest as we'll as the worst passions of men and that is the great civilizer of the world 1 William R. Hamilton, U. S. A., in Outing